


Country Boy (I Love You)

by bb_bambam



Category: B.A.P
Genre: Alternate Universe - Farm/Ranch, Flirting, Fluff, Kissing, M/M, Making Out, Nicknames, Sharing a Bed, daehyun has a million nicknames for youngjae, first there's in-denial!youngjae and flirty!daehyun, inspired by daehyun's instagram post of him and jongup in cowboy outfits, that comes later though, with background parents!banghim and soft!jonglo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-14
Updated: 2018-12-03
Packaged: 2019-08-02 00:48:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 14,190
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16295126
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bb_bambam/pseuds/bb_bambam
Summary: Manager Yoo meets country boy Jung Daehyun.





	1. Part 1

“Junhong, could you please call Kim Himchan in here?” Youngjae buzzes his secretary through the phone’s intercom, watching through the glass of his office window as Junhong, all lanky limbs and forced professionalism, tries to hide the way he jumps when Youngjae’s voice floats through the speaker by answering him as hastily as possible.

“Of course, Youngjae-ssi,” Junhong says quickly, hanging up and dashing out of his seat. “Himchan-ssi, Manager Yoo wants to see you in his office right away,” Youngjae can hear him telling the older man.

The formality in Junhong’s tone is a little ridiculous. Youngjae has always thought the level of propriety in this company is slightly overboard, but he didn’t become the youngest branch manager in the company’s history by breaking the rules. As silly as he finds it, he, more than anyone else, makes sure to enforce that the policies dictated by his superiors are adhered to.

Himchan steps into the office with Junhong trailing behind him, breaking Youngjae out of his thoughts. “You wanted to see me, _Manager Yoo_?”

Youngjae rolls his eyes at the false formality dripping from Himchan’s voice. “Shut up, hyung. Junhongie, close the door.” Junhong complies, locking the door before settling on the couch across from Youngjae’s desk.

“I’ve been teasing you since you were _born_ ,” Himchan says airily, dropping his polite act and sitting down next to Junhong unceremoniously. “If you think I’m about to stop now, all these years together have clearly taught you nothing about who I am as a person.”

“Believe me, I know _too_ much about who you are as a person,” Youngjae grumbles, recalling Himchan’s far-too-descriptive accounts of his decision-making process in choosing certain outfits and his incessant demands for Junhong and Youngjae to come over and help him cook. Youngjae wouldn’t be bothered by any of it, really, except for how it happens much too frequently.

“You and me both, hyung,” Junhong agrees, shuddering slightly.

“What the hell?” Himchan says indignantly. “I _raised_ you two _on my back_ and this is what I get?”

“All right, okay,” Youngjae interrupts before Himchan can launch into his usual rant about single-handedly being responsible for the upbringing of Youngjae and Junhong, a story he loves to tell despite the glaring inaccuracies - the most prominent being that Himchan is only a few years older than them. “I called you people in here for a reason. What are your thoughts on farms?”

Junhong looks somewhat bewildered. “Our thoughts on _what_?”

“My cousin lives on a farm out in the country. You remember, right? I used to go stay with him every summer when we were younger,” Hichan says helpfully. A wistful look crosses his face. “Those were the days. There was this really gorgeous boy who worked for my uncle. He was so sweet and had the nicest smile and his _arms_ were just -”

“Please stop,” Youngjae groans. “I don’t want to hear about your weird teenager crushes, and I doubt Junhongie does either.” Junhong nods in confirmation, a cheeky smile on his face.

“You say that like neither of you have ever had any crushes,” Himchan retorts. “Which, in case you’ve forgotten, I happen to know for a _fact_ is untrue. Anyway, I don’t even know if he still works there. It’s been years since I last visited.”

“Well, I guess you’ll find out soon,” Youngjae says. At the brief look of confusion that flashes across Himchan’s face, Youngjae clarifies, “The three of us are going.”

“What?” Junhong looks between Youngjae and Himchan, confused. “What do you mean, the three of us?”

Youngjae sighs. “My parents apparently talked to Himchan-hyung’s parents and set up some kind of vacation for us at the farm because I’ve been ‘too focused on work’ or something.”

“Their idea of a vacation is sending us to a _farm_?” Junhong asks. “Why?” He glances at Himchan and adds, “No offense to your cousin, hyung. I’m sure it’s a great farm.”

“I don’t know,” Youngjae shrugs. “Something about building character, I think. I’m not sure why they’re convinced that you two are my only friends, either. Like, yeah, I’ve known you my whole life or whatever, but come on.”

“It’s probably because we _are_ your only friends,” Himchan says sagely.

“You’re really not though,” Youngjae protests, feeling a little indignant. “I’m friends with Jaehwan-hyung and Jin-hyung and Sandeul-hyung and -”

“Aren’t those your online friends?” Junhong asks innocently. “The ones you game with and haven’t ever actually met?”

“They’re still my _friends_ ,” Youngjae grumbles. “But fine. What about Mark and Jaebum and Jinyoung, then? What do you call them?”

“Mark and Jaebum, maybe,” Himchan concedes after a moment of consideration. “But I don’t know if Jaebum’s boyfriend really counts as _your_ friend...” He trails off, sending Youngjae a sly look. “Especially when _someone_ had a crush and was all _upset_ when Jinyoung swooped in -”

“Shut _up_!” Youngjae cuts him off, annoyed. “Jinyoung and I get along _fine_ , because that was _years_ ago. I don’t know why you still feel the need to bring it up all the time.”

“Mostly for your reaction,” Himchan says, unbothered, and Youngjae is left to continue fuming a little. “Anyway, so we’re going to Jonguppie’s farm? When?”

“We leave Saturday morning,” Youngjae says, glancing at the text his mother sent him last night to confirm the details. “And we’ll be there for two and a half weeks.”

“Two and a half weeks?” Junhong raises an eyebrow, amused. “Isn’t that a little long for _Manager Yoo_ to be away from the office? Won’t it all collapse into chaos without you?” He and Himchan share a laugh at the reference to one of Youngjae’s drunken monologues from the early days of his promotion, back when he was still basking in the glow of his improved position (although even now, after the glory has faded, he still takes his work very seriously.)

Youngjae bites back the retort on the tip of his tongue and sighs, looking at Junhong pointedly. “I have the vacation days, I have to use them somehow. And the office can survive without me, I’ll be gone for less than three weeks.” He purposely doesn’t mention that if his parents hadn’t intervened, he absolutely would have gone the whole year without taking any leave. Himchan and Junhong enough make fun of him for being a workaholic as it is; they certainly don’t need more material.

“Baby’s all grown up,” Himchan sniffles dramatically. “What a proud day this is for me.”

Youngjae rolls his eyes at his friend’s antics. “Out of my office, Himchan-ssi.”

“Yes, _sir_!” Himchan salutes him mockingly as he rises from his seat, though he winks at Youngjae playfully before he strolls out with a self-satisfied grin on his face.

“That went well,” Junhong says cheerfully.

“Yup,” Youngjae agrees with a resigned sigh. “About as well as I could have hoped for.”

Junhong stands up too, stretching his back with a groan. “Back to work, then, hyung?”

“You know it,” Youngjae says, turning on his monitor.

“I’ll take my leave then, Manager Yoo,” Junhong says, slipping easily back into his role. “I’ll be outside as usual if you need anything.”

“Thank you, I’ll give you a ring if I do,” Youngjae replies, but he’s already mostly focused on the screen in front of him. It’s back to business as usual, for now.

~~~

Saturday comes much too soon, and Himchan shows up at Youngjae’s door bright and early with a half-asleep Junhong in tow, ranting about how Youngjae should have been ready half an hour ago because now they’re late for their train. (“I was out late last night and _I_ still woke up, what’s _your_ excuse, brat?”)

Three hours later, Youngjae has made up a decent amount of sleep on the train and is feeling somewhat more optimistic about the trip. The three of them climb into a taxi at the station and get dropped off twenty minutes later at the end of a path surrounded by a few trees. A quaint-looking house is visible in the distance, with the faint outline of a barn just behind it.

They’re halfway to the house when Youngjae stumbles on the gravel trying to shift the weight of the bag hanging off his shoulder and braces himself for a fall that never comes. He’s caught around the waist by an unfamiliar tanned arm before he can lose his balance completely, and when he looks up, Youngjae finds himself staring into the smiling eyes of a man who looks to be around his age.

“Well _hello_ , cutie,” the man says, his appreciative gaze fixed on Youngjae’s face. “Let me take that off your hands for you. We wouldn’t want you tripping again and hurting your pretty face, now would we?” Without waiting for a response, he plucks the bag off Youngjae’s shoulder, holding it easily with one arm. He’s about the same height as Youngjae, his brown hair falling across his forehead and the sleeves of his plaid shirt rolled up to his elbows leaving his forearms on display.

Youngjae prides himself on being generally quick-witted, but the man’s sudden appearance and completely unabashed flirting (and _strikingly_ good looks) have him feeling quite startled. Immediately, he’s irritated. There’s no feeling he dislikes more than being left flustered, especially by some guy - he likes to think he’s a little more sophisticated than that.

He’s still looking at the man (who hasn’t looked away either), trying to formulate some kind of snappy reply when his scrambled thoughts are interrupted. “Daehyun?” Himchan’s voice, full of surprise, cuts through Youngjae’s impromptu staring contest. “Is that really you?”

Daehyun, apparently, finally shifts his gaze away, but not before Youngjae catches a cocky smirk tugging at Daehyun’s lips as he rakes his eyes over Youngjae’s face a final time. He tries his hardest to glare back, resolutely pretending that his insides don’t suddenly feel like they’re aflame.

“Himchan-hyung?” Daehyun asks, the smile on his face completely different as his eyes light up in recognition. Youngjae, irrationally annoyed, remembers Himchan talking about the crush he had on one of the boys here who had a nice smile and - he hates himself for flushing, thinking of how he’d recently had one wrapped around his waist - nice arms. Daehyun, Youngjae notes as he watches Himchan embrace him, admittedly fits both descriptions perfectly.

He recalls the brazen way in which Daehyun had looked at him and immediately forces himself to forget it; it seems like Himchan is quite pleased to be reunited with his childhood crush, and from the way Daehyun beams at Himchan, the feeling appears to be mutual. So Youngjae tells himself he doesn’t care when, after finishing his hug with Himchan (which surely had been unnecessarily long - not that Youngjae had been paying attention, of course), Daehyun meets Youngjae’s eyes again for a fleeting moment, his gaze heavy, before moving on to greet Junhong.

The four of them make their way towards the house together, Daehyun leading the way with Youngjae’s bag in one arm and Junhong by his side while Himchan and Youngjae trail behind them. Junhong is immersed in conversation with Daehyun - in typical Junhong fashion, he had somehow managed to immediately bring the topic of conversation around to his pride and joy, Mochi the dog, and as it turns out, Daehyun has a dog of his own that he loves talking about just as much.

Youngjae watches them converse animatedly, reminding himself pointedly that he doesn’t care. Yeah, maybe Daehyun had briefly flirted with Youngjae, and maybe it had sent Youngjae’s mind into more disarray than any boy has managed to in a while, but that doesn’t mean anything; he definitely doesn’t want or need Daehyun’s attention, particularly not when Himchan has apparently had his eye on him for years.

He glances to his right to find Himchan watching them too, looking fond. It’s weird for Youngjae to think about Himchan having genuine romantic affection for anyone - he’s always been more of a “no strings attached” kind of person (and Youngjae knows that it’s because he’s too afraid to actually commit) - but, Youngjae reasons, maybe now that he’s back here, he’s having a change of heart. It’s certainly understandable, now that Youngjae has seen Daehyun in person.

“You know, hyung, I admit it,” Youngjae says resignedly, breaking their comfortable silence. It’s always annoying to tell Himchan that he’s right about anything, but what kind of friend would Youngjae be if he didn’t give his approval? “Not that I care, but I get why you had a crush on this Daehyun guy.”

Himchan stares at him in silence for a few moments before exploding into laughter. “Oh my god,” he gasps, trying to catch his breath.

Youngjae glares at him, confused. “What?” he demands.

“You think I had a crush on _Daehyun_?” Himchan wipes away a tear of mirth. “It’s like you don’t know me at all. Since when have I been into younger men?”

He’s right, Youngjae realizes belatedly, but it’s too late to take it back now, and Himchan’s eyes glint dangerously as he looks at Youngjae. “How was I supposed to know how old he is?” Youngjae asks in an attempt to defend himself. “He fits your mediocre description, okay?”

“As I recall, _you_ were the one who cut me off in the middle of that description,” Himchan reminds him, “and I know you heard him call me ‘hyung,’ but forget that. I think the _real_ issue here is that baby Jae has already developed a little crush and got _jealous_.”

“What?” Youngjae says too quickly. “No. He’s clearly a flirt, and you _know_ I can’t stand that.”

“He certainly was eyeing you up earlier,” Himchan says, nodding. “But he actually seems interested, you know. You definitely have a chance.”

“He’s not my type,” Youngjae says, which is a lie, but he’s not interested in becoming some country boy’s boytoy, no matter how attractive he might be. Flirty boys are cute until they break hearts; Youngjae knows that all too well.

“He’s exactly your type,” Himchan says, unfooled. “ _And_ I happen to know that he’s actually a huge softie, so unless he went through an extremely dramatic personality change in the last few years, he was probably just showing off for you.” He winks at Youngjae obnoxiously. “Looks like baby’s not the only one with a crush.”

Youngjae firmly quashes the rush of adrenaline he feels at Himchan’s words, reminding himself that he is a _manager_ and doesn’t have time for a two-week fling that he’ll inevitably end up becoming way too invested in. “Whatever,” he says, trying to sound disinterested. “Who’s _your_ farm boy then? Is he here?”

“Daehyun said he’s in the house with Jongup, setting up the rooms,” Himchan says. “And don’t call him ‘my boy’ in front of him, brat. He could be married by now, for all I know.”

“I’m sure Jongup would have told you if _your boy_ got married,” Youngjae points out, dutifully trying to quell Himchan’s sudden, out-of-character insecurity. “This is a farm, not the wilderness. There are ways they could have contacted you if anything important happened.”

“You’re probably right,” Himchan agrees, looking somewhat relieved, and Youngjae internally congratulates himself on successfully preventing a potential episode of panic.

When the party of four finally enters the house, they find two men in the kitchen, one prodding tentatively at a pot on the stove and the other diligently setting the table. “Hello, boys!” Himchan calls as they walk in. “I’m home!”

The man at the table barely spares Himchan a glance, but the man at the stove spins around at the sound of Himchan’s voice, a smile spreading across his face almost instantaneously. “Himchan!”

Youngjae has never seen anyone so delighted to see Himchan, but even more shocking is that a quick glance tells him that Himchan is equally (if not more) thrilled to see this man. “Yongguk!” he says happily.

“It’s so good to see you,” Yongguk says, turning off the stove before drawing closer and pulling Himchan into a hug.

Youngjae and Junhong exchange a look of amusement, realizing that this must be Himchan’s infamous crush. As they watch the two older men greet each other, Daehyun, who’s positioned himself between the two of them, leans towards Youngjae and whispers, “Himchan-hyung likes him too, right?”

Youngjae turns his head abruptly, trying very hard to look like neither the feeling of Daehyun’s lips ghosting against his ear nor Daehyun’s general proximity is affecting him. “What do you mean, he likes him _too_?” Youngjae manages to ask, keeping his voice low.

He feels rather than sees the smile spread across Daehyun’s face as Daehyun continues to speak softly into his ear. “Yongguk-hyung has been in love with him since they were teens. And I know Himchan-hyung can be kind of... _difficult_ about things like this, but I’ve always thought it isn’t as one-sided as Yongguk-hyung thinks.”

Youngjae keeps quiet for a few moments, reluctant to give Daehyun the satisfaction of being right. “Hm,” he finally says. “Maybe.” Daehyun just lets out a breathy laugh, like he can see right through Youngjae, and Youngjae huffs quietly in annoyance.

Meanwhile, Himchan and Yongguk have separated at last, and Himchan’s attention is now on the only person in the room who hasn’t spoken to him yet. “Hello,” Himchan says pointedly, though he looks more amused than upset.

“Hi, Himchan-hyung,” the remaining man replies, finally looking up from his work.

“No need to sound so happy to see me, Uppie,” Himchan says, shaking his head.

The man - Jongup, Youngjae assumes - puts his hands on his hips. “You haven’t visited in five years and you think everything is fine just because you brought along a cute boy?” he demands. (Much to his amusement, Youngjae feels Daehyun stiffen next to him before relaxing again moments later when Jongup’s eyes flicker shyly, not to Youngjae, but to Junhong, who has a light dusting of pink on his cheeks as he meets Jongup’s gaze fleetingly.)

Himchan looks quite conflicted at Jongup’s words. On the one hand, Youngjae thinks, Himchan seems proud, like a parent whose child has just been complimented, and on the other, he’s also tense like a parent who isn’t ready for their child to start dating yet. It’s a typical Himchan reaction, and Youngjae has to smother a laugh.

“Just give me a hug, brat,” Himchan finally says, and Jongup’s lips curl in amusement before he obliges.

“So, about the rooming arrangements,” Daehyun announces casually after several moments, breaking apart the cousins’ embrace with his voice. “There’s good news and bad news. The good news is, we have three rooms for everyone to sleep in.”

“That’s fitting,” Youngjae says pointedly, “because it looks like there are three of us.”

“Nice try, cutie, but that’s not quite right,” Daehyun says with a cheeky grin. “As I was about to say, the bad news is that there’s actually _six_ of us.”

“Oh, you’ve all finally moved in?” Himchan asks, expressing more of a jubilated kind of excitement than the concern Youngjae personally feels. “Took you long enough.”

“Wait, so are we like, sharing rooms?” Junhong asks.

Yongguk nods. “It was the easiest solution we could think of. Jongup’s parents are away for the month, but they requested that we keep out of their bedroom, so we couldn’t use that.”

No one, Youngjae notes, looks particularly apprehensive about the situation. Apparently, he’s the only person with any reservations about the proposed sleeping arrangements.

“Himchan-hyung said Junhong is around my age and Youngjae-hyung is around Daehyun-hyung’s age, so we divided the rooms like that,” Jongup explains. His hopeful eyes find Junhong again, and Youngjae remembers that neither he nor Junhong has been formally introduced, so Jongup has no way of knowing for sure which of them he’s sharing a room with.

“So you’re with me,” Junhong reveals shyly, and the little smile they share is, to be quite honest, very cute.

Youngjae inadvertently meets Daehyun’s gaze as Junhong speaks, which is how he witnesses the exact moment Daehyun’s eyes light up as he realizes that Youngjae is _Youngjae_ who he’s sharing a room with. He really is unfairly attractive, Youngjae grumbles to himself, but more troublesome is the fact that he also seems friendly and outgoing and charming. And to be honest, Youngjae isn’t sure how he’s going to get through the next couple of weeks with his sanity intact if Daehyun is going to be around, smiling at him like this the whole time.

~~~

When Youngjae emerges from the bathroom after a long shower, feeling refreshed, he finds Daehyun spreading a blanket on the floor of their room carefully. “What are you doing?” Youngjae asks, raising an eyebrow.

“Making my bed, sweet cheeks,” Daehyun says, and Youngjae has already resigned himself to the fact that Daehyun is almost certainly never going to use his real name, though truthfully, he can’t find it in himself to care much. (He might even like the attention. Just a bit.) “I have to sleep somewhere, right?”

“Isn’t that what your _bed_ is for?” Youngjae points out.

Daehyun laughs gently. “The bed is for you, silly. I didn’t want you to have to share and be all uncomfortable.”

“Am I supposed to be impressed by your chivalry?” Youngjae asks, and he can’t for the life of him understand why he’s being so aggressive when Daehyun, for all his flirting - and harmless flirting, at that - has been quite accommodating.

“Only if it’s working,” Daehyun returns easily, and although his tone is still light, he really does sound like he means it.

Youngjae sighs. “I appreciate the thought, Daehyun, really, but just - just sleep up here like a normal person, okay?”

Daehyun raises an eyebrow. “And make you sleep on the floor? Not likely, sweetheart. I was raised better than that.”

He knows what Youngjae is going to say next. Youngjae _knows_ Daehyun is aware that the bed is large enough for both of them. While Youngjae isn’t thrilled at the thought of sharing it, if Daehyun is going to be his bedmate, it isn’t necessarily the worst prospect in the world, and he can tell by the gleam in Daehyun’s eye that Daehyun is just _waiting_ to hear Youngjae say it. Fortunately, Youngjae has never been one to back down from a challenge, so he meets Daehyun’s eyes boldly and says, “We can just share, genius.”

“Slow down there, darling, at least ask me out for dinner first,” Daehyun says with a wink, the line clearly planned, before laughing at Youngjae’s unimpressed expression. “Aw, come on, I’m just teasing.”

“Don’t get any funny ideas, mister,” Youngjae says sharply. “It’s _only_ because this is your room and I’m not going to kick you out of your own damn bed.”

With that, he turns on his heel and walks out of the room before he can do something stupid like make eye contact with Daehyun again and become a little more infatuated. He resolutely doesn’t turn around - even with the feeling of Daehyun’s gaze following him out the door, even with the “Thanks, cutie!” that trails after him - because he’s certain that if he does, nothing will stop him from melting at the bright smile he knows Daehyun is sending his way.


	2. Part 2

It turns out that Daehyun is an early riser, so Youngjae doesn’t get the opportunity to find out what it feels like to wake up beside him. It had, admittedly, been nice to fall asleep with a warm presence next to him - a feeling he hasn’t experienced for a while now - and truth be told, Youngjae had almost expected (wanted) Daehyun to end up holding him as they slept. But Daehyun, apparently, isn’t the type of person to overstep boundaries and had kept strictly to his half of the bed. Youngjae can’t quite decide whether he’s relieved or disappointed.

Trudging into the kitchen, he finds Junhong and Yongguk at the kitchen table, chattering away over their breakfasts. “Good morning, hyung!” Junhong calls cheerfully.

“Morning,” Youngjae says, stifling a yawn. “Where’s everyone else?”

“Jongup’s definitely still asleep, and Himchan and Daehyun are probably already outside,” Yongguk says, waving Youngjae over. “They’ve always woken up insanely early.”

“They seem...close,” Youngjae says tentatively, hoping he doesn’t sound overly interested. Moments later, he silently berates himself for even bringing it up, especially when Himchan is clearly into Yongguk, so even if Youngjae _were_ interested in Daehyun - which he _isn’t_ \- Himchan would hardly be a obstacle.

“Yeah, they’re pretty much brothers,” Yongguk confirms, oblivious to Youngjae’s internal conflict. “Himchan always used to talk about how he raised Daehyun. Daehyun hated it, of course, but he and Jongup certainly did get influenced by him quite a lot, growing up. It was up to me to make sure they weren’t getting _too_ corrupted.” He laughs softly. “Every summer, he’d tell us stories about how he was ‘raising’ you two back home, too. He was obviously a busy dad!”

Talking to Yongguk is nice, Youngjae decides as he eats. He has an unwaveringly calm demeanor, but he doesn’t shy away from telling embarrassing stories about Himchan’s teen years on the farm, the fond smile never fading from his face. He’s in the middle of a story about Himchan accidentally locking himself in the stable for three hours when Jongup stumbles in sleepily, his shirt rumpled and his hair sticking up at odd angles like he had awoken just moments ago.

“Good morning,” Yongguk says, looking amused. Jongup just lets out a groan and drops into the chair next to Junhong heavily.

“Not a morning person?” Youngjae asks with a grin.

“Not even close,” Yongguk answers for Jongup, smiling affectionately.

“Me neither,” Youngjae says, watching interestedly as Jongup’s head unintentionally falls onto Junhong’s shoulder. Junhong, despite the flush that blooms on his cheeks, looks somewhat pleased by this development, and Youngjae can’t resist wiggling his eyebrows at his friend pointedly.

He and Yongguk both laugh softly as Junhong pouts at him in return before focusing his attention on Jongup. “Jonguppie-hyung,” Junhong says gently, and Youngjae absently wonders how they’ve already managed to become close enough to refer to each other so comfortably. “Do you want to eat something? Himchan-hyung made breakfast.”

Jongup’s eyes flutter open and he pulls his head off Junhong’s shoulder hastily with a matching blush on his face. “Sure,” he says quietly. “Thanks, Junhongie.” He offers Junhong a sleepy smile, and Junhong returns it shyly. Youngjae wonders if they know that their obscenely adorable exchange is making him and Yongguk feel very much like intruders on a private moment.

“Youngjae,” Yongguk says, tearing Youngjae’s attention away from the younger two men. “If you’re done, you can probably go find Himchan and Daehyun. They’ll have something for you to do.”

“Okay,” Youngjae agrees immediately, grateful for the excuse to leave. “Thanks, hyung.”

After wandering outside for a few minutes, he finds Himchan alone in the barn, looking so at home in his checkered shirt and straw hat that anyone who doesn’t know him would probably believe that he’s never stepped foot in a city in his life. “Look what the cat dragged in,” Himchan says as a greeting.

“What are you wearing?” Youngjae asks in reply, eyeing the outfit critically. It doesn’t necessarily look _bad_ , but it’s rare to see fashion-forward Himchan dressing so casually.

“Damn, everyone’s a critic,” Himchan says, pretending to be indignant. “Let me have this! It’s been so long since I had an excuse to wear this stuff.”

“That sounds like your own fault,” Youngjae points out. “No one’s _asking_ you to be Mr. Diva back in the city.”

“ _I’m_ asking me,” Himchan retorts, though he’s still smiling.

“Who are you talking to, hyung?” Daehyun’s voice drifts across the barn, followed by the man himself as he walks inside. His outfit is very similar to Himchan's, but somehow, Youngjae thinks absently, the way Daehyun wears it makes even someone as handsome as Himchan look plain. Daehyun’s face brightens considerably when he spots Youngjae. “Hey, good morning, sunshine!” he beams. “I hope you weren’t too lonely when you woke up.”

Youngjae tries to keep his expression unimpressed, but unfortunately for him, it ends up looking more like a pout. “I was fine.”

“I’m sorry, sweetheart,” Daehyun says, looking sincerely apologetic. “I always wake up really early, and I didn’t want to disturb you.”

Part of Youngjae is grateful, because being woken up against his will is at the top of the list of things he hates most. But the more dominant part of him wants to be petty, wants to prove that he’s resistant to Daehyun’s charms. “Whatever,” he says.

“All right,” Himchan cuts in. “You two can finish your lover’s spat when I’m not around to suffer through it. For now, let’s give Youngjae something to do.”

The farm is fairly expansive, and Youngjae isn’t sure that he’s ready to tackle large-scale farm work just yet. Fortunately, Himchan explains, he won’t be expected to. Youngjae’s job is to work in the more manageable flower garden just behind the house, and as luck would have it, he’s left under the supervision of Daehyun.

“So,” Daehyun starts, after a brief lesson on how to properly pull up weeds. Youngjae looks up from his work to find that Daehyun has drifted over to the fence, leaning on his elbows and watching Youngjae intently. “What do you do back in the big city, cutie?”

“I have a name, you know,” Youngjae informs him instead of answering the question. “It’s Yoo Youngjae, if you’re interested.”

“Oh, I _am_ ,” Daehyun says, the corner of his mouth curling upwards.

“Great,” Youngjae says, suppressing the reflexive urge to smile back. “Then maybe you can actually use it.”

“Yoo Youngjae.” His name rolls off Daehyun’s tongue like Daehyun is tasting its sound. “Hm. I’ll consider it.” His smile widens as he continues, “You know, I haven’t heard you use my name either, sweet cheeks. It’s Jung Daehyun, in case _you_ were interested.”

“Not really,” Youngjae drawls, keeping his tone nonchalant.

Daehyun raises an eyebrow, amused, like he doesn’t believe Youngjae’s denial in the least. “Well, Yoo Youngjae, you haven’t answered me yet. What does the little prince do for a living?”

“Fine,” Youngjae sighs. There’s no harm in telling Daehyun what he wants to know, anyway. “I’m the branch manager of the company I work for.”

Daehyun lets out a low whistle, looking impressed. “So you’re the whole package, pretty _and_ smart.” The wink he sends Youngjae’s way is met with an unimpressed look, but Daehyun doesn’t seem bothered as he continues asking questions. “Does that make you Himchan-hyung’s boss, then? He told us you work for the same company, but he didn’t mention that part. I wonder why.”

Youngjae involuntarily laughs at that, picuring Himchan’s reluctance to reveal his position as Youngjae’s subordinate. “Yeah, I’m his boss. Junhong’s too, actually. The youngest manager in the company’s history, so they tell me.”

“And you wanted to keep your big, important position a secret from me?” Daehyun asks playfully. “Why? If you hadn’t told me, I would’ve just had to keep thinking that you’re a model or maybe a trophy husband.”

“Flattering,” Youngjae deadpans. “A trophy husband? Really?”

“What? I’d _love_ to be a trophy husband, personally,” Daehyun says, grinning. “You get to sit around all day, looking pretty and talking to everyone about how great your spouse is. That sounds like the _life_.”

“Well, you’ve got the ‘looking pretty’ part down, at least,” Youngjae says absentmindedly, before belatedly realizing that he hadn’t meant to say it out loud.

“Oh really?” Daehyun looks delighted, his eyes shining. “I’m glad you think so, but I think I’d be pretty good at the ‘talking to everyone about how great my spouse is’ part too, if I were _your_ trophy husband, _Manager Yoo_.”

Youngjae stares at him, conflicted. Daehyun’s words are playful, and Youngjae has come to assume that his shameless flirting is largely for his own entertainment, so why does it feel like right now, Daehyun isn’t quite joking?

Before Youngjae can come up with a reply, their conversation comes to an abrupt halt with the arrival of Himchan as he strolls back into the yard. “Daehyunnie, go help Yongguk with lunch, will you? He’s trying, but the man is _still_ hopeless after all these years.”

“Give him some credit, hyung,” Daehyun says with a grin, springing up obediently. “He wanted to impress you with his improvement.”

Himchan’s eyes soften. “He _has_ gotten better,” he says fondly. “But for now, he could still use a little help.”

“I’ll let him know,” Daehyun says cheerfully. He flashes Youngjae one last smile before he goes, and now that it’s not suggestive or cocky, Youngjae has to admit that Daehyun’s natural smile is actually quite breathtaking. “See you later, Youngjae!”

For whatever reason, hearing his name on Daehyun’s lips affects Youngjae more than any nickname has. He watches Daehyun walk into the house, his ears burning, and only snaps out of his trance at Himchan’s amused snort. “What?” he demands, turning to glare at his friend.

“You get all cute when you have a crush,” Himchan says. “I almost forgot what it was like to see my baby all starry-eyed.”

“So much of what you just said was wrong,” Youngjae says, even though he’s not particularly bothered by any of it. “I don’t have a crush and I’m not _starry-eyed_. And I am _not_ your baby. That’s Junhong’s job.”

“Junhongie is all grown up too,” Himchan sighs. “I can’t believe I didn’t see it coming. Of course he and Jongup would get along, they’re practically made for each other.” He stares at Youngjae for a few moments consideringly. “Actually, I should have known you and Daehyun would be drawn to each other too.”

“We aren’t,” Youngjae protests weakly, knowing full well that it’s a lie.

“Please,” Himchan scoffs. “That boy is already completely hung up on you. And you look happier too, you know. Much less stressed. He’s good for you.”

“I don’t need someone to save me, hyung,” Youngjae says resolutely. “I can take care of myself.”

“I don’t think that’s what Daehyun is trying to do,” Himchan reasons. “I think he just wants to add something more. A little excitement, a little passion.” He shakes his head and lifts a hand to squeeze Youngjae’s shoulder. “You eat and sleep and work, Jae, but the last time you did something _fun_ , just for the hell of it, was when you were still dating -”

“There’s your explanation right there,” Youngjae cuts him off, immediately agitated at the mention of the last relationship he was in. “You saw how that ended. If that’s what happens when I’m in a relationship, what’s the point? I’m happy with my situation now.” (And it’s not quite a lie. He’s not _un_ happy, at least.)

“Daehyun is a good kid,” Himchan says. “I raised him, so I should know.”

Despite the statement’s ridiculousness, the matter-of-fact way in which Himchan says it puts a smile on Youngjae’s face. “Yeah, yeah.”

“Give him a chance, is all I’m saying,” Himchan concludes, ruffling Youngjae’s hair affectionately. “You both deserve that much.”

~~~

On the fourth day, Youngjae finds himself on the couch in the living room in the middle of the afternoon with Daehyun awkwardly seated next to him, but far enough that they’re not touching each other. Daehyun is really a mystery, Youngjae thinks, because on one hand, the man flirts like there’s no tomorrow, but on the other, he refuses to make any kind of physical contact with Youngjae out of some kind of respect for Youngjae’s personal space. He hates that he’s annoyed about it, though, so he refrains from moving closer to keep up the pretense that boredom is the only reason he’s sitting here with his arms crossed and a pout on his face.

From where they’re seated, they have a good view of Yongguk and Himchan talking and laughing together as Himchan cooks and Yongguk tries to help. Himchan looks the happiest Youngjae has seen him in a while, and while it admittedly is very much like watching his parents fall in love, Youngjae is happy for him. He chances a glance at Daehyun, absently wondering if (hypothetically speaking, of course) a relationship with him would be like that, but he quickly banishes the thought from his mind.

“They’re sweet, aren’t they?” Daehyun sighs, watching them with a faint smile on his face. It’s the first time either of them have spoken in at least half an hour, and Youngjae almost jumps at the suddenness of the question. “It’s only been, what, four days? And they’re already in domestic bliss.”

“It’s nice to see Himchan-hyung whipped for someone instead of the other way around,” Youngjae agrees, because Daehyun does have a point. “I wouldn’t be surprised if he skips over the dating part and just proposes by the end of this trip.”

“ _I_ wouldn’t be surprised if no one on this farm is single by the end of your trip,” Daehyun says, winking at Youngjae.

“I’ll be surprised if you _aren’t_ still single,” Youngjae retorts, although in reality, it remains to be seen whether he’ll actually be able to successfully ignore the part of him that’s already hopelessly attracted to Daehyun.

“We’ll see, cutie.” Daehyun grins, like he can read Youngjae’s mind.

“Whatever,” Youngjae says, looking away before Daehyun can spot the light flush that seems to be ever-present under Daehyun’s intense gaze.

“Come with me,” Daehyun says, suddenly changing the subject. “I want to show you something.”

“What?” Youngjae asks, already wary.

“Just come!” Daehyun insists, standing up and extending a hand for Youngjae to take.

Youngjae pointedly ignores it and gets up by himself. “Okay, fine.”

He follows Daehyun upstairs and waits as Daehyun goes into Yongguk and Himchan’s room, watching him wander into the corner and pick up something that Youngjae can’t see. When he comes back into the hallway, Youngjae realizes that the little ball of fluff in Daehyun’s arms is a dog. “This is Ganji,” Daehyun says proudly. “My son.”

Ganji is, admittedly, one of the cutest dogs Youngjae has ever seen, and he can’t help himself from moving closer, momentarily unbothered by Daehyun’s proximity. He reaches out a hand to pet Ganji, giggling when the little dog nips at his fingers enthusiastically. “Are you hungry, Ganji? Do you want to eat?”

“You know what?” Daehyun’s voice, the most gentle Youngjae has heard it, floats through the narrow space between them. “You try to act all mean and aloof, like the big bad manager, but you’re not. You’re _soft_ , Yoo Youngjae.”

Youngjae lifts his head to glare at him, and even though their faces are only inches apart, he doesn’t retract his hand from where he’s stroking Ganji’s ears. “I am _not_ soft,” he protests indignantly. “Your dog is just really cute.”

“ _You’re_ cute, sweetheart,” Daehyun says, and Youngjae is startled to find that Daehyun’s gaze isn’t heated the way he expects it to be; instead, his expression is almost fond, a smile pulling at his lips as he watches Youngjae pout.

Youngjae is hardly a stranger to being flirted with, but he _isn’t_ used to the attention being motivated by anything other than lust. He’s somewhat mortified that Daehyun’s apparently genuine words have him incapable of stopping himself from blushing. “Shut up,” he says without much heat, absentmindedly petting Ganji’s head.

The look in Daehyun’s eyes doesn’t change as he smiles. “Just telling the truth, cutie.”

“Why hasn’t Ganji been around until now?” Youngjae asks, changing the subject. “Why doesn’t he stay in your room?”

“I didn’t know if you would be okay with having him there,” Daehyun explains, and Youngjae is once again surprised at how much thought Daehyun has actually put into accommodating him. “He’s been with Tigger.” At Youngjae’s raised eyebrow, Daehyun clarifies, “Yongguk-hyung’s dog. I knew Himchan-hyung wouldn’t mind since he was already used to having a dog around, so it all worked out.”

Youngjae clears his throat carefully. “Well, I don’t mind either. So, you know, you can let him be in our - _the_ room from now on.”

“You hear that, Ganji?” Daehyun brings the dog up to his face and kisses his head. “He wants you in our room!” He looks at Youngjae again, his eyes hopeful. “Do you want to walk him with me?”

And Youngjae can’t (doesn’t want to) find a reason to say no.

~~~

Five days in, Youngjae decides to spend some time with Jongup and Junhong. The two younger men have been steadily growing closer and closer, Youngjae knows, and because Junhong is like a little brother to him, he figures he needs to get to know Jongup better. (It helps that Jongup is Himchan’s cousin, because that practically guarantees Himchan’s approval, which in turn makes it more likely that Youngjae will approve too.)

The two of them have mostly been working with the animals, Youngjae discovers: things like feeding the chickens, milking the cows, grooming the horses. Personally, Youngjae isn’t a fan, and he’s ready to change his mind and do something else instead when he realizes that if he stays, he’ll have a prime view of Daehyun carrying heavy bags of fertilizer in and out of the barn - not that he cares that it’s Daehyun specifically (he does, but he can barely admit that to himself, let alone anyone else). It is an objectively nice view, though, and Youngjae isn’t about to pass up the opportunity to check out a handsome man lifting heavy objects. Anyway, he reasons to himself, it’s not like admiring Daehyun’s looks means Youngjae wants to _date_ him or anything, right? It’s strictly appreciating a good-looking, muscular guy, that’s all.

Daehyun, of course, notices Youngjae almost immediately, catching him in the middle of helping Jongup collect eggs from the chicken coop. He calls out his usual, “Morning, cutie!” as he passes by, walking towards the barn to pick up another bag. Upon spotting Youngjae’s somewhat obvious stare after emerging several moments later with his arms full, he sends Youngjae a bright smile and blows him a kiss. Youngjae responds by glaring at him and resolutely fighting his desire to melt at the oddly sweet action.

“Is Daehyun always like this?” Youngjae asks Jongup, his eyes following Daehyun as he walks into the field and starts spreading the fertilizer.

“Like what?” Jongup peers at Youngjae curiously.

“You know,” Youngjae says, waving his hand vaguely. “The cutesy nicknames, the smiles, the winking.”

“Well, he definitely smiles a lot,” Jongup says thoughtfully. “He’s just a cheerful person. I don’t know about nicknames and winking, though. He only started doing that when you got here.”

“Oh.” Youngjae tries not to feel too pleased about the fact that he’s apparently special. (He still remembers the last time he thought he was special to someone, and how badly that had ended for him. The thought sobers him up quickly.)

“I think he must really like you,” Jongup continues obliviously. “It’s been a long time since he put so much effort into impressing someone.”

“You should ask him out, hyung,” Junhong suggests, smoothly joining their conversation. “Since you like him too.”

“Why would you think that?” Youngjae asks, frowning. Is he really that bad at pretending to be unaffected by Daehyun’s advances?

Junhong and Jongup exchange an amused look, and Youngjae feels even more indignant that they’re ganging up on him. “It’s kind of obvious,” Junhong says. “You act either grumpy or flustered when he’s flirting with you and then as soon as he leaves, you’re all weirdly smiley and pleased with yourself.”

“I am _not_ ,” Youngjae says even though he’s not sure if it’s true; he’s a little mortified by the idea of himself actually being that sappy. “You two are the ones who get all giggly and blushy around each other.”

True to his words, both of them turn pink at that, but neither looks particularly bothered, if the little smile they share is anything to go by. Youngjae internally sighs. Is everyone here infatuated except for him?

 _No_ , a little voice at the back of his mind answers helpfully, _because you’re infatuated too_.

~~~

By the end of the first week, Youngjae already feels acclimated to the pattern of life on the farm. It’s by no means a leisurely vacation - they’re constantly working outside - but there’s something relaxing about it regardless. Youngjae has discovered that he actually quite enjoys gardening, and he’s almost ready to invest in a little flowerbed to place on his apartment balcony when he goes back to the city.

After spending the morning in the garden and playing with Ganji for a bit, he brings the little dog back to his and Daehyun’s room so he can nap before heading to the kitchen in search of a snack. What he ends up finding is Daehyun standing at the stove, focused intently on the pot of noodles he’s stirring. When he hears Youngjae come in, though, he looks up and his whole face brightens. “Hey cutie, your timing is perfect! Come try this!” His smile does funny things to Youngjae’s stomach, but those feelings are subsequently ignored.

“What is it?” Youngjae asks warily, drawing nearer to peer into the pot.

“My specialty!” Daehyun says proudly. “Just try a little bit, come on, please?” And try as he might, Youngjae can’t seem to resist Daehyun’s hopeful eyes, so he nods and is rewarded with a delighted smile.

Daehyun hands him chopsticks and a bowl full of noodles, watching eagerly as Youngjae takes a bite. Youngjae’s eyes widen in surprise; it actually tastes amazing. “Wow,” he mumbles, his mouth still full but his chopsticks already going for another bite.

“Is it good? Do you like it?” Daehyun asks anxiously. “Do I need to add- ?” Youngjae glances up as Daehyun talks, his cheeks puffed out from all the food in his mouth, and Daehyun breaks off suddenly. He stares at Youngjae for a few moments, looking somewhat dumbfounded. “Oh my _god_ ,” he says, so softly that Youngjae figures he must be talking to himself. “He’s the _cutest fucking boy in the world_.”

Youngjae blinks, suddenly hyperaware of every movement his face makes as he continues chewing silently. He carefully swallows and tentatively says, “I - this is really good.”

“Really?” Daehyun says, looking pleased. “Thank you.”

“Do you cook a lot?” Youngjae asks, and he’s told himself so many times that he won’t get too attached to Daehyun - which means learning as little about him as possible - but his curiosity gets the better of him.

“Yongguk-hyung and Jonguppie would probably starve if I didn’t,” Daehyun says, his eyes twinkling with amusement. “They’re not great at cooking, so it’s up to me to keep them fed when Uppie’s parents aren’t here.”

“I’m not so good at it either,” Youngjae confesses. “Himchan-hyung usually makes me stuff, or I just have ramen.”

Daehyun smiles at that, and Youngjae is sure he’s going to make a comment about how _he_ wouldn’t mind cooking meals for Youngjae instead. But surprisingly, Daehyun just gazes at him for a few more moments before hastily looking away and busying himself with preparing another bowl so he can eat too.

They move to the living room once Daehyun has served himself and settle next to each other on the couch. Youngjae watches as Daehyun digs into his food and grudgingly admits to himself that the man is endearing in everything he does. And the truth is, if Daehyun hadn’t been the one to start flirting first, Youngjae probably would have been pursuing him instead. (Look. Daehyun is funny and cute and charming and a little dumb, and Youngjae might have found his ideal man. Maybe.)

Ultimately, though, Daehyun _did_ make the first move, and Youngjae has been here before. He’s already experienced the aftermath of returning the interest of a flirtatious man, and he knows how that story goes - he’s not a big fan. And moreover, he still has his pride. He’s not going to let the life he’s built for himself suddenly feel incomplete or inadequate just because some boy is making him (maybe, possibly) catch feelings.

“You know,” Daehyun says, breaking the comfortable silence they’ve fallen into and cutting off Youngjae’s thoughts. “Whoever broke your heart was an idiot.”

“Who says anyone broke my heart?” Youngjae asks, immediately on the defensive, taken aback by the accuracy of Daehyun’s assumption.

Daehyun offers him a wry smile and doesn’t answer the question. “About a year ago, I broke up with the guy I had been dating for almost two years. Turns out he was a manipulative asshole who ended up trying to convince me that I didn’t deserve better than him.”

Daehyun’s jarring confession leaves Youngjae wondering how anyone could ever do that to someone like Daehyun and why they would ever _want_ to. He’s never been very good at empathy, though, so instead of saying any of that, he settles for a somewhat underwhelming, “I-I’m sorry.”

“You don’t need to apologize, it wasn’t _your_ fault,” Daehyun says lightly. “I just wanted to tell you.”

“Why?” Youngjae asks, half-curious and half-apprehensive about the answer.

“I just...it took me a long time to get over it,” Daehyun says, his eyes meeting Youngjae’s meaningfully. “So I’m sorry if I’ve been too forward. I can tell that you’re still getting over something too, and I guess I haven’t been very mindful of that. I’ll back off if you want me to.”

Youngjae stares at him, speechless. It hadn’t occurred to him that Daehyun might really think his advances have been unwanted, and it had certainly never crossed his mind that Daehyun would try to apologize for it. “No, it’s really - that’s not really true,” he says, trying to figure out a way to tell Daehyun what he means without revealing everything. “I mean, you’re right about the other thing, the me-getting-over-something part, but you - you don’t really need to back off.”

Daehyun offers him a half-smile, like he knows exactly what Youngjae isn’t saying; Youngjae is grateful that he doesn’t press further. “I won’t ask you to tell me what happened or anything, I know we only just met a few days ago. But I just wanted to let you know that, well, I get it.”

Youngjae is silent for a few moments before he numbly hears himself say, “I should have known.” He doesn’t know why he says it, doesn’t know why something in Daehyun’s knowing eyes makes him want to tell Daehyun everything, but suddenly, words are tumbling out of his mouth before he can stop them. “I should have expected that he would cheat. He was really possessive but he was also always hitting on anyone he found remotely attractive. I was just stupid enough to think that because he didn’t want _me_ being with anyone else, it was special when he did it to me.”

“No,” Daehyun says firmly. “You shouldn’t have expected anything except commitment, and it’s _only_ on him for not giving you that. His actions aren’t your fault, Youngjae. Once he started a relationship with you, of course you weren’t wrong for thinking it was special.”

“It doesn’t matter now, anyway,” Youngjae mumbles hoarsely, because this isn’t something he likes to think about. “It was ten months ago. He obviously moved on long before that, but I-I’m over it too.”

“It’s okay even if you aren’t,” Daehyun tells him. “And it’s his loss, in the end.”

“Yeah,” Youngjae whispers. “I guess.”

“I _know_ ,” Daehyun says, and he sounds absolutely convinced of it. Warmth blooms in Youngjae’s chest. “Like I said, the guy was obviously a complete fucking moron. He clearly didn’t deserve you, if he couldn’t see that having you was the best damn thing to happen to him. Why would anyone need to go around hitting on other people if they were already dating someone smart and funny and cute and who also happens to be the most beautiful man alive?”

“Stop that,” Youngjae protests, but it sounds weak even to his own ears, especially when he can feel a genuine smile creeping onto his lips. “You really shouldn’t throw compliments like that around so easily, you know. People might get the wrong idea.”

“But sweetheart,” Daehyun counters, a charming smile on his face, “it’s only for you.” And (unlike the time Youngjae’s ex-boyfriend tried the same line after being confronted) Youngjae finds that he actually believes him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's a new chapter for you all! I hope you enjoy watching Youngjae slowly but surely warm up to Daehyun! Next chapter will have even more exciting developments! :)


	3. Part 3

Something changes between them after their heartfelt conversation. By the middle of the second week, Youngjae has come to the grudging conclusion that now that his biggest point of resistance has been addressed, there are less reasons than ever to ignore the attraction he’s felt to Daehyun since the moment he arrived on the farm.

He’s woken up three days in a row to find that he subconsciously decided in the middle of the night to splay an arm across Daehyun’s chest or nuzzle into his neck, effectively rendering Daehyun incapable of getting up at his usual time without disturbing Youngjae. He had been beyond embarrassed the first time it happened, but of course, Daehyun hadn’t seemed to mind at all. By the third day, even Youngjae has gotten used to it, and he goes so far as to pretend to still be sleeping so he can enjoy the feeling a little longer.

With each passing day, Youngjae spends less time by himself in the garden and more time in the company of Daehyun while he’s working or walking Ganji. Daehyun is quite an entertaining person to talk to, Youngjae learns, and is also very adorable to watch when he’s excited about something. He hasn’t stopped flirting with Youngjae, either (not that Youngjae expected or wanted him to), but there’s something different about it now - before, his words felt more playful than anything else, but now, they’re more intentional, seem to have more meaning. Youngjae finds it both scary and thrilling, and he can’t stay away.

The sun is a neat semicircle on the horizon, signaling the end of the tenth day of the vacation, when Youngjae finds himself next to Daehyun, leaning against the fence surrounding the garden. A comfortable silence settles over them as they look out into the field together, watching as the setting sun decorates the sky with color.

“It’s so peaceful out here,” Youngjae sighs, feeling content. “I’ve never taken the time to watch a sunset before.”

“Of course not, Manager Yoo has a company to run, doesn’t he?” Daehyun teases.

“Hey, I actually have a lot to do, okay?” Youngjae protests half-heartedly, bumping his shoulder against Daehyun’s lightly. “It wouldn’t look as nice in the city, anyway.”

“Yeah, the view _is_ pretty here,” Daehyun says, and when Youngjae turns his head, he’s hardly surprised at all to find Daehyun’s eyes fixed on him rather than on the sky. Daehyun’s gaze doesn’t waver as he continues talking. “I could look at it every day for my whole life and still be amazed every time.”

“Stop it,” Youngjae says, unable to fight the little smile that blooms on his face, a dead giveaway that his complaint isn’t serious. “Forever is a long time, you know. You’d get tired of it eventually.”

Daehyun smiles too, sliding a little closer. “Never, sweetheart,” he says, sounding very much like he means it. His voice drops as he leans in slightly, his eyes roaming all over Youngjae’s face. “Some works of art are just so beautiful, they’ll always be appreciated.”

“I-I guess so,” Youngjae manages to say. His heart is racing, and he’s acutely aware that their faces are only centimeters apart now.

“Youngjae,” Daehyun murmurs, his eyes full of longing as they flicker from Youngjae’s eyes to his lips. “Will you let me kiss you?”

The tiniest part of Youngjae wants to say no, wants to hold out until the end of this trip so he can go home and return to his perfectly satisfactory work life and forget all of this. But the truth is, Daehyun is sweet and cute and sincere, and Youngjae gets along with him and genuinely _likes_ him, and maybe he wants a little more than “perfectly satisfactory” for his life after all.

And the much larger part of him that’s screaming at him to say yes already has him placing his shaky hands on Daehyun’s chest and leaning in. “Please,” he whispers, and he can’t even find it in himself to feel embarrassed at how needy he must sound as his eyes flutter shut.

Youngjae has kissed people before in his life - not many, maybe, but this certainly isn’t his first time. Still, as Daehyun’s hands find his waist and gently pull him closer, Youngjae can’t remember a single other time he was left so physically and emotionally affected by a kiss alone.

Daehyun pulls away first, though he doesn’t move very far, Youngjae’s waist still firmly in his grip. Youngjae slowly opens his eyes and watches, dazed, as a smile blossoms on Daehyun’s face. “Wow,” Daehyun breathes, his eyes never leaving Youngjae’s face. He brings up a hand and runs his thumb along Youngjae’s reddened bottom lip, looking entranced. Youngjae shivers at the touch, resisting the almost instinctive urge to wrap his lips around the finger, and Daehyun’s eyes darken slightly before he leans in again.

And Youngjae lets him, kissing back with an eagerness that surprises even himself, allowing Daehyun to carefully work his lips open and explore Youngjae’s mouth with his tongue. Daehyun lets out a noise that sounds very much like a growl, and Youngjae feels like every inch of his body is crackling with electricity, like he could burst from the intensity of it all.

Their kisses are charged with the fire that has characterized their attraction to each other all along, but there’s nothing aggressive in their movements. Daehyun is holding Youngjae as close to him as their bodies allow, like he’s afraid Youngjae will vanish otherwise, and Youngjae clings to the front of Daehyun’s shirt, crinkling the fabric in his hands, like a promise that he doesn’t plan on disappearing any time soon.

Even as that thought crosses his mind, though, Youngjae suddenly remembers who he is and who Daehyun is and - they live on _opposite ends_ of the country. It’s scary enough as it is, falling for Daehyun as hard as he has in such a short amount of time. He’s known the man for less than two weeks, but the way they’ve connected - it feels like they’ve known each other for lifetimes, and truthfully, he’s never experienced such overwhelming feelings before. Unfortunately, the fact is that long-distance relationships aren’t easy, and Youngjae _wants_ this but he also can’t help but have doubts.

He reluctantly draws away, afraid to meet Daehyun’s eyes. “Daehyun,” he whispers, his voice trembling a little. “We - I -”

“Shh,” Daehyun cuts him off, pressing a finger to his lips. He has a knowing look on his face, like he had anticipated this very moment. “I know you’re scared, sweetheart.”

“I just...don’t want this to hurt,” Youngjae admits quietly. “For either of us.”

“And I don’t want to hurt you,” Daehyun says softly. “I just want you to realize that you don’t need to deprive yourself of happiness to prove that you’re strong. You’re _so_ strong, Youngjae. I _know_ that. But I want to see you be happy, too, and I want to be the one who gives you that happiness.” He takes a deep breath, and for the first time Youngjae can remember, he doesn’t seem very confident. “So if you want or need this to just be a casual thing, then - it’s - we can do that.”

“No,” Youngjae says immediately. “No. I don’t - casual relationships don’t work for me.” _And I like you too much already_ , he doesn’t say, _and it’s terrifying_.

“O-Okay,” Daehyun says, and he sounds disappointed, but even more than that, he sounds sad. “Then I-I won’t bother you.” He smiles uncertainly. “You get it, right? It’s just, being around you after - after all this -” he gestures between them - “it’ll be kind of hard for me. At least for a little while.”

“Daehyun,” Youngjae chokes out. The dejected look on Daehyun’s face mirrors the feeling in Youngjae’s heart when he thinks about passing up the chance to finally have something that will make him genuinely happy. He’s uncertain about a lot of things, but he knows what he wants, and it isn’t this. “I don’t _want_ you to not bother me.” He takes a deep breath. _Yoo Youngjae isn’t afraid to speak his mind_ , he reminds himself. _And he gets what he wants_. He looks directly into Daehyun’s eyes and the longing he finds there is enough to give him the last boost of confidence he needs. “I want you to date me.”

Daehyun stares at him for a few moments in silence. “For real?” he finally asks, and he sounds so hopeful that the only response Youngjae can think to give him is to tighten his grip on the front of Daehyun’s shirt and pull him in for another kiss. Daehyun responds with renewed enthusiasm, holding Youngjae’s face in his hands like he’s never revered anything more. “I’m guessing that’s a yes,” he says, smiling against Youngjae’s lips.

Youngjae lets out a breathless giggle. “I’m guessing this is a yes from you too,” he replies, and Daehyun nods, kissing Youngjae’s nose and cheeks and jaw before pulling away to gaze at Youngjae contentedly.

“I really like you, Yoo Youngjae,” Daehyun breathes. “I really, really like you.”

“I know,” Youngjae whispers, offering him a little smile. He nudges Daehyun’s nose with his own. “Daehyunnie, kiss me again.” And when Daehyun grins back and eagerly obliges, Youngjae knows Daehyun understands what he means. _I really, really like you too_.

(They’re so caught up in each other that they end up losing track of time, staying out well after the sun has disappeared from the sky. They arrive at the dinner table half an hour after the meal was supposed to start, and fifteen minutes after the others decided to begin eating without them.

“Look who finally showed up,” Himchan says, smirking. “Where did you two disappear off to, hmm?”

Despite the decision they had made together just a short while ago, despite the fact that Daehyun looks thoroughly ravished and Youngjae probably doesn’t look much better, Youngjae’s panicked first instinct is to _deny deflect deny change the subject deny make an excuse deny_ \- but then he glances at Daehyun, who’s looking at him with the softest of smiles on his face, and suddenly Youngjae is calmer, doesn’t feel the _need_ to pretend.

Instead, he returns the smile and reaches out to lace his fingers through Daehyun’s before turning to Himchan again. “We were together,” Youngjae says. He feels Daehyun’s warm hand squeeze his own, and he squeezes back, a little lightheaded from how content he feels in this moment.

Himchan, surprisingly, doesn’t make any obnoxious comments; in fact, both he and Yongguk strongly resemble proud parents, smiling affectionately at the new couple. Even Junhong and Jongup, though they do look amused, have the courtesy to hide their giggles.

He and Daehyun finally sit down together and begin to serve themselves, and the rest of them easily break into normal conversation again. As he watches everyone chatter animatedly, Youngjae admits to himself that Himchan had ultimately been right about Daehyun. He’s not saving Youngjae, because Youngjae didn’t need saving. Daehyun is just adding something more: he’s making Youngjae happy. And for the first time in a while, Youngjae believes that he deserves it.)

~~~

Youngjae wakes up feeling very comfortable, wrapped in a snug embrace. He discovers that his head is resting on something much firmer and much warmer than a pillow, and he sleepily buries his face in it.

A soft laugh reverberates through the room, the surface Youngjae is leaning on vibrating slightly, and Youngjae lifts his head, disorientedly looking for the source. He peers up through eyes that are still heavy with sleep to find Daehyun smiling fondly at him. “Morning, angel,” Daehyun says, the clarity of his voice suggesting that he’s been awake for a while. “Did you sleep well?”

“Mmm.” Youngjae, still in the process of waking up, hums in response and nuzzles into Daehyun’s neck, blaming his hazy state of mind for the uncharacteristic display of affection. “Still sleepy.”

Daehyun laughs again and kisses Youngjae’s temple. “You can go back to sleep if you want to, baby.”

Youngjae’s eyes are still closed, but he smiles against Daehyun’s skin. “Baby?” he repeats (and maybe he kind of loves being called that).

“You don’t mind, right?” Daehyun asks, caught in a rare moment of insecurity.

“Daehyunnie,” Youngjae says, pressing a soft kiss to Daehyun’s shoulder, “if I had a problem with your nicknames for me, don’t you think I would have put a little more effort into stopping you before?”

Daehyun smiles, his eyes turning into little crescents as he drops a kiss on Youngjae’s nose. “Good point, cutie.”

“I know,” Youngjae says smugly, feeling much more awake as he leans into the touch before suddenly pulling away with a smirk and getting out of bed.

“Where are you going?” Daehyun whines. “I thought you were still sleepy, come back to bed.”

Youngjae can’t help it - he bursts into giggles, because Daehyun looks unreasonably cute frowning up at him. “I’m just going to the bathroom and cleaning up a little, Dae. I’ll be right back.”

“Fine,” Daehyun grumbles, though he doesn’t really sound upset. “I’ll freshen up too, I guess.” Youngjae, smiling fondly, watches Daehyun force himself out of bed and shuffle around the room while mumbling to himself about how Ganji needs to be fed, too.

By the time Youngjae comes out of the bathroom fifteen minutes later, having washed his face and brushed his teeth and generally made himself fully wake up, Ganji is no longer sleeping in his usual spot (he must be eating outside) and Daehyun has placed himself back on the bed, leaning against the headboard with the covers thrown carelessly across his legs and a pout on his face.

Youngjae’s lips curl into a smile as he climbs onto the bed, crawling over to Daehyun and ghosting a kiss at the corner of his mouth. “Why so moody, hm?”

Before Youngjae can pull away, Daehyun grabs his waist and tugs him onto his lap to give him a proper kiss. “You’re really going to tease me first thing in the morning?”

“Yes,” Youngjae says, because he can. He grins down at Daehyun cheekily, giddy with contentment. It’s hard to believe that less than twenty-four hours ago, he was still trying to resist this, because now that he has it, he never wants to lose it. Long-distance will be tough, yes, but this feels like it’s absolutely worth it.

“Naughty,” Daehyun says with a laugh, kissing Youngjae again. “Maybe ‘angel’ isn’t a good nickname for you after all.”

“I don’t know what you mean,” Youngjae says innocently, purposefully shifting in Daehyun’s lap as he speaks.

Daehyun tightens his hold on Youngjae’s hips and lets out a soft growl, pulling Youngjae closer. “Come here, you.”

“Gladly,” Youngjae whispers. And he loses himself in kissing Daehyun for a while, content to let Daehyun grip his waist while Youngjae leans in as close as he can, one hand cupping Daehyun’s face and the other buried in his hair.

Daehyun lets out a sound Youngjae would love to hear again when Youngjae sucks on his tongue, his hold on Youngjae tightening for a moment. “ _Baby_ ,” Daehyun groans. “You’re going to kill me.” Youngjae just smirks at him playfully, and Daehyun nips at his bottom lip in retaliation before pulling Youngjae back down and thoroughly ravishing his mouth again. “We should probably slow down,” he suggests breathlessly when they finally separate.

“Probably,” Youngjae agrees, panting softly as he rests his forehead against Daehyun’s.

“But I want to kiss you again, angel,” Daehyun says, bringing a hand up to thumb Youngjae’s cheek, his eyes visibly darkening as he fixates on Youngjae’s swollen lips.

Youngjae smiles and flutters his eyelashes. “Then _kiss me_ , Daehyunnie.”

Before Daehyun can oblige, though, a sharp knock resounds through the room. “Hello?” Himchan’s muffled voice floats through the door. “Not to interrupt, but can you two let us know when you’re ready to join the rest of polite society? Thanks!”

“Can you maybe leave us alone?” Youngjae grumbles.

“Message received!” Himchan calls obnoxiously. “We won’t expect you for another hour or so. Stay safe, you two!”

Youngjae glares at the door. “Go _away_ , hyung!” Himchan doesn’t say anything else, but Youngjae can hear him laughing to himself as he walks away.

Daehyun draws Youngjae’s attention away from the door before he can complain more. “You are _unbelievably_ cute, you know that?” He’s looking at Youngjae like he’s completely in awe of what he sees, and Youngjae feels his annoyance melt away.

“So I’m constantly being told,” Youngjae says, smiling.

Daehyun’s eyes widen exaggeratedly, clearly feigning jealousy. “ _Constantly_? Who’s been telling you that?”

Youngjae leans down and whispers in Daehyun’s ear like it’s a secret. “Just some guy I met on some farm. Jung Daehyun, or something like that.”

“Hmm, he sounds handsome,” Daehyun says with a laugh.

“He’s okay,” Youngjae replies playfully, because Daehyun _is_ very handsome and Youngjae is very much aware of that - but messing with Daehyun is fun, too. “I’m satisfied, I guess.”

“He’s a lucky man,” Daehyun says matter-of-factly, “if he gets to date a cutie like you.”

“Stop it,” Youngjae whines, fidgeting in Daehyun’s lap. “You’re so embarrassing. I’m _intimidating_ , okay, not just cute. They made me manager for a reason.”

“Baby, you _have_ to stop moving like that,” Daehyun warns, sliding his calloused hands under Youngjae’s shirt to hold his hips in place. “Or we’ll have to see if you’re still intimidating after I’ve turned you into a pretty little mess.”

“I’d like to see you try,” Youngjae challenges defiantly, not-so-secretly hoping Daehyun is the kind of person who will take him up on it, and Daehyun’s eyes darken.

Moments later, Youngjae finds himself on his back as Daehyun pins him down into the mattress, trapping Youngjae’s wrists and pushing his thigh between Youngjae’s legs. “Is this what you wanted?” Daehyun asks, his tone innocent but his eyes hungry.

And this is, in fact, _exactly_ what Youngjae wanted, but he suddenly remembers Himchan and the others smugly anticipating their complete lack of self-control and figures that they should try to show at least a _little_ restraint. So reluctant as he is, he coughs lightly and says, “Actually...we should probably get up.”

Daehyun’s expression changes instantaneously, and he clambers off Youngjae hastily. “I’m sorry! I didn’t want to go too far, I’m sorry if that was too much.”

Youngjae gazes into Daehyun’s worried eyes and wonders if Daehyun knows that he’s the ideal man. He pulls Daehyun back towards him, kissing him again gently. “It’s not that, Dae. That definitely wasn’t too much. I would even say it wasn’t quite enough.” He deliberately lowers his tone as he says it, knowing Daehyun will catch on - he doesn’t see a reason to be shy about his sexual preferences around someone who will clearly support and respect them. Daehyun’s eyes widen at that, his pupils dilating again, and Youngjae takes it as encouragement to keep speaking. “We can keep going later, okay? Just not right now, because we should probably grace the others with our presence.”

“Right,” Daehyun agrees, still looking slightly dazed. “You know, you’re a wild little thing, Yoo Youngjae.”

“You have no idea,” Youngjae winks, sitting up carefully. Feeling brave, he whispers one last thing into Daehyun’s ear just before he and Daehyun leave the bed. “But I promise you’ll get to find out.”

(Needless to say, after a long day of anticipation, neither of them end up getting much sleep that night. But then again, Youngjae falls asleep in Daehyun’s arms, basking in the afterglow of three rounds, and wakes up at noon to Daehyun feeding him lunch in bed, so he doesn’t have any complaints.)

~~~

In spectacular contrast to how he he had been before, Daehyun now appears to be completely incapable of keeping his hands to himself (not that Youngjae has any problem with it). Youngjae has never been much into overt displays of affection, but Daehyun is _very_ touchy. And to be honest, even though he would never initiate any of it, Youngjae can’t deny that he enjoys it all - the hugs, the hand-holding, the kisses pressed to any available spot on Youngjae’s face, the way Daehyun buries his face in Youngjae’s neck as they fall asleep, how Daehyun can’t seem to stop his hands from wandering while they’re watching movies with the others.

As the last day of the trip draws ever closer, Youngjae overhears Himchan talking to Daehyun in the barn one morning, stopping to eavesdrop when it becomes clear that the topic of conversation is himself.

“Don’t break his heart, Daehyunnie,” he hears Himchan say, and he immediately rolls his eyes, feeling both exasperated and fond - really, it’s just like Himchan to act like an overprotective parent, brother, and friend all in one.

“Are you kidding?” Daehyun says, sounding incredulous. (Youngjae can just picture the look on his face; it makes him smile.) “I feel like the luckiest person alive that he even wanted to date me in the first place. And by the way, I still can’t believe you didn’t tell me you were friends with my literal dream guy.”

“Yeah,” Himchan says, sounding slightly sheepish but mostly amused. “I’m not sure why I never made that connection, because it sure seems obvious now.”

“Probably because you were too busy daydreaming about Yongguk-hyung,” Daehyun suggests. It’s exactly what Youngjae would have said, and Youngjae feels himself falling a little more for the man he can officially call his boyfriend.

“You’re such a little shit,” Himchan says, but there’s no heat in his voice and he doesn’t deny Daehyun’s words. “Anyway, I know you’re whipped, but you shouldn’t let him boss you around, either. The manager thing really got to his head, the brat.” Youngjae wants to feel indignant, but the whole situation is more humorous than anything else.

“We both boss each other around,” Daehyun says placidly.

“He lets _you_ boss him around?” Himchan asks, and Youngjae can perfectly envision the bewildered arch of Himchan’s eyebrow.

“Oh yeah,” Daehyun says, his voice dripping with suggestion. Even though no one can see him, Youngjae flushes slightly as he remembers exactly what Daehyun is referring to. “He loves it.”

There’s a long pause as Himchan drinks in the new information. “Wow,” he finally says. “That was something I really didn’t need to know.”

“You asked,” Daehyun points out cheekily.

Youngjae hears Himchan groan. “God, why are you two exactly the same? You really are made for each other, aren’t you?”

Daehyun sighs dreamily. “I really hope so, hyung.” And Youngjae would never admit it out loud to anyone, but he melts at that, because Daehyun sounds about as smitten as Youngjae feels.

He brings Daehyun a bouquet of flowers from the garden later, and when Daehyun asks what the occasion is, Youngjae just shrugs and smiles coyly. Daehyun thanks him with a loud kiss before tucking one of the little white flowers from the bouquet behind Youngjae’s ear. “Beautiful,” he says, and Youngjae hates how cheesy it is, but he can’t stop smiling.

The days go by too quickly, Youngjae thinks. He starts becoming more glum as the final day approaches, and it’s not just because of the unappealing prospect of returning to sleeping alone every night. He’s going to miss working in the garden and playing with Ganji, listening to Yongguk’s calming voice and watching Jongup walk into the kitchen at noon with his messy bedhead. He’ll miss seeing Himchan’s fond smiles as Yongguk attempts to cook for him and Junhong’s shy pink cheeks when he looks at Jongup. And he isn’t the only one, either - they’re all, understandably, quite unenthusiastic about the impending arrival of the last day.

When the time finally comes for their vacation to end, Youngjae, Himchan, and Junhong are escorted by the country boys to the train station so they can say their goodbyes there. As the six of them walk towards the platform, clumped together but divided into their groups of two, Daehyun clings to Youngjae’s hand. Youngjae knows Daehyun is reluctant to let go - he’s feeling the same way.

He squeezes Daehyun’s hand and turns to face him. “Try not to miss me too much, Daehyunnie,” he says, a wry smile tugging at his lips.

“Impossible,” Daehyun says immediately, and he brushes a light kiss across Youngjae’s knuckles. “I miss you already, and you haven’t even left yet.”

“So needy,” Youngjae teases, his face and heart warm at Daehyun’s earnest honesty.

Daehyun’s mouth pulls into a smirk as he leans closer, his breath tickling Youngjae’s ear. “We’ve shared a bed for two weeks, sweetheart. I don’t think you’re in any position to be calling _me_ needy.”

Youngjae feels himself flush, but he bites back anyway. “I didn’t hear you complaining when it meant that my mouth was on your -”

Daehyun cuts him off with a finger pressed to his lips. “ _Baby_ ,” he says, his voice a playful growl. “Be good.”

“You can’t make me,” Youngjae returns, feeling cheeky. “Not here.”

“Hm,” Daehyun says, his eyes twinkling with amusement and promises. Youngjae feels a thrill course through his veins as he remembers what Daehyun whispered into his skin last night, that they’ll be reunited in two months because Daehyun is moving to the city. (Youngjae yelled at him for keeping the fact that he’s going back to school a secret until the last possible second, but forgave him immediately afterward because he’s not going to complain about Daehyun living less than ten minutes away from his apartment). Daehyun presses a chaste kiss to his lips. “Well, I’ll see you soon, won’t I, cutie? Then we can do whatever we want.”

Youngjae smiles and kisses Daehyun one more time. “You better mean that, Daehyunnie. I’ll be waiting.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I finally got around to finishing this! It was really fun to write, even though it feels really different from stuff I've written in the past. Things got kind of suggestive towards the end, which isn't really my style typically but it fit with the way I was trying to characterize them so I just went with it. I hope you all enjoyed this! As always, feedback and comments are welcome and appreciated!
> 
> Thanks for reading! :)


	4. Bonus

“Junhong, call Kim Himchan in here, please,” Youngjae calls through the intercom. Junhong, despite being in full view of Youngjae, has visibly been texting for the past hour (and the _only_ reason Youngjae hasn’t called him out on it is that he knows Junhong doesn’t have a lot to do today. It’s definitely not because he’s been texting all day too. He’s the _manager_ , he doesn’t do things like that). Sheepishly, Junhong throws Youngjae an apologetic look before walking off to find Himchan. “Unbelievable,” Youngjae huffs to himself. “Kid gets himself a boyfriend, and suddenly it’s a free-for-all.”

“Please, he’s not special,” Himchan says, throwing the door open without knocking. Junhong follows him, back to typing away on his phone. “Everyone has a boyfriend these days. I have one. Even _you_ have one. And you know, now that I mention it, you’d really think that would have loosened you up more.”

“Funnily enough, I know how to divide my time between work and play, hyung,” Youngjae says before Himchan can add something suggestive like _in more ways than one, am I right?_ or point out that Youngjae’s phone is visibly on top of his desk, clearly having been used just moments ago. “It’s called ‘having life skills.’ Possibly both of you could learn from me.”

“I’d rather not,” Junhong says. “It looked like Daehyun-hyung was sending you some pretty _interesting_ things earlier, and I don’t want to know about any of it.”

“My baby, sexting at work?” Himchan gasps, pretending to faint. “What has that boy done to you?”

“We weren’t _sexting_ ,” Youngjae says, affronted. Junhong and Himchan both give him a look, clearly not buying it, and Youngjae reddens slightly. “Fine, if you really have to know, he keeps sending me compliments like, every hour.”

“And you’re embarrassed by this?” Himchan asks, raising an eyebrow.

“I’m not _embarrassed_ ,” Youngjae says defensively. It’s not a lie - it’s just that Daehyun’s texts _do_ include some more suggestive compliments in addition to his sweeter messages, but Youngjae isn’t about to tell either of his friends about that. “It’s just...different. If anyone should be embarrassed, it’s you, prancing around acting like that ring on your finger isn’t an engagement ring.”

“I agree,” Junhong interjects without looking up from his phone. “Why would you even want to pretend that you’re not engaged, anyway, hyung?”

“I’ve told you a million times that this is just a promise ring,” Himchan says, glaring at both of them.

“Hyung, do you _hear_ yourself?” Youngjae cuts him off before he can continue. “In the adult world, ‘promise ring’ translates to ‘we’re getting married,’ and it’s frankly weird that you don’t already know this.”

Himchan sighs, collapsing heavily on the couch. “Because,” he says in a tone that suggests it should be obvious, “Yongguk never _proposed_. He just gave me the ring. There’s a difference.”

“Just propose yourself then,” Junhong suggests, finally abandoning his phone and giving the conversation his full attention. “Yongguk-hyung would obviously say yes.”

“We’ve only been dating for two months,” Himchan deadpans. “That’s not really enough time to decide to propose.”

“You haven’t been genuinely interested in anyone but him for years,” Youngjae says. “And anyway, if it’s okay to have ‘promise rings’ then engagement rings aren’t a huge step up. Because they’re the same thing.”

“Fine,” Himchan says, rolling his eyes good-naturedly. “Whatever. I’ll think about it. But it’s kind of hard when I live here and he lives there, you know.”

“Move there,” Junhong says easily. “That’s what I’m gonna do if things work out.”

Youngjae and Himchan both stare at him. “You’re planning on moving?” Youngjae asks, completely taken aback. “To the farm?”

“Not right away,” Junhong says with a shrug, though he looks a little pink. “Since we only just started dating, it’s kind of soon to start thinking about long-term stuff, but I think we’re both serious and I’d rather move there.” He looks at Youngjae and offers him an apologetic smile. “Not that I don’t like being your secretary, hyung.”

“Yeah, no, I know, that’s fine,” Youngjae says, still a little dazed from the unexpected news. “Well, if Himchan-hyung is willing to leave the city then that’s an option for him too, I guess.” He looks at Himchan expectantly. “Or maybe Yongguk-hyung would be okay with moving here, like Daehyun.”

“Maybe,” Himchan echoes, before clearing his throat. “Anyway, I hate to be the wet blanket, but did Manager Yoo really call me in here to gossip about our love lives? And here I was thinking that you’re a serious worker.”

Youngjae rolls his eyes and partially snaps back into business-mode. “I called you in here because _somehow_ , you’re the second-highest ranking employee in the office, which unfortunately means you’ll be in charge for the afternoon. I have a meeting and I won’t be coming back to the office after.”

“He’s got an appointment at the train station,” Junhong says helpfully.

“He’s coming today, huh?” Himchan wiggles his eyebrows suggestively. “Skipping work to see your loverboy? Maybe he is loosening you up a bit after all.”

“I have a _meeting_ ,” Youngjae stresses, though he knows it’s futile. (And admittedly, it is just a lunch meeting - he really is missing the rest of the day to pick Daehyun up from the station. But it’s just for today, and he already _promised_ Daehyun, okay? It’s not a big deal.)

“So Himchan-hyung, you’ll be overseeing the office for the rest of the day,” Junhong says, bringing the conversation back to the matter at hand.

“Amazing, I can’t wait to leave this place in flames,” Himchan says cheerfully.

Youngjae opens his mouth to say something in retaliation, but his phone chimes four times before he can get the words out. He snatches it up embarrassingly quickly, and he just _knows_ Himchan and Junhong have the most obnoxious expressions on their faces as they watch him read the messages.

**From: Daehyunnie**

_halfway there ^_^_

_see u soon cutie <3333333 _

_cant wait til i get to have my hands all over u <333333_

_by which i mean cuddling u, of course ;)_

Youngjae inhales sharply at the third message and hides a smile at the fourth, suddenly unable to wait either. He looks up to find Himchan and Junhong looking at him with amusement. “Shut up,” he says petulantly.

“We’ll just leave you to it, Manager Yoo,” Himchan winks, standing up and walking to the door. Junhong follows suit, trailing after Himchan with his attention back on his own phone. “You’re clearly _very_ busy.” His gaze softens as he sends Youngjae a genuine smile right as they’re about to leave Youngjae’s office. “Have fun this afternoon, okay? You deserve it.”

Youngjae smiles back and casts his gaze back down to Daehyun’s texts, his heart warm. Yeah, he thinks. He does deserve it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I loved writing this AU so much that I couldn't help but add a silly little bonus scene! It's purely self-indulgent tbh but hopefully you like it!
> 
> I know it kind of raises some more questions like...Are banghim engaged or not? Will Yongguk or Himchan move in with the other? Is Junhong capable of putting down his phone and not texting Jongup for more than 5 minutes? (I can answer that one - no!!) Is Daehyun pulling Youngjae out of his workaholic shell and is that a good thing? (In my mind? Yes!! Manager Yoo deserves to have a little fun sometimes!)
> 
> I have ideas of the other answers in my head but I also wanted to leave some room for readers to draw their own conclusions, so! I hope you all enjoy! :)

**Author's Note:**

> So this was inspired by Daehyun's instagram post from 374929 years ago of him and Jongup in cowboy outfits and Youngjae in a suit. My mind, of course, immediately went to a country boy Daehyun/office worker Youngjae AU, and it grew to include office workers Junhong and Himchan and country boys Jongup and Yongguk as well (but the banghim and jonglo are reasonably background, the main focus is definitely daejae).
> 
> I'm going to be posting this in chapters because it ended up being a lot longer than I expected it to be! I meant for it to be a quick oneshot but somehow it turned into a 10k+ word monster...whoops. Anyway, anticipate flirty Daehyun, in-denial Youngjae, soft jonglo, and parental banghim! This has been really fun to write, so I hope you all enjoy it!
> 
> Title is a reference to the "Country boy I love you" vine lmfao I felt like it was fitting!
> 
> Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy! :)


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